“I don’t think that’s right to say,” James said. “I’m not going to get involved in it. Every team works hard no matter if it’s a lockout year or not. There’s not much of a difference between 82 games and 66 games….

“I don’t discredit the effort San Antonio had when they won it in ’99 after the lockout,” James said. “We all know Gregg Popovich is an unbelievable coach and Tim Duncan is an unbelievable player. It shouldn’t matter. They won multiple (titles) after that so are we going to say that first one wasn’t good enough? I don’t think that’s true at all.”

The Spurs 1999 banner looks exactly like the other three, the ring from that year does not have a diamond asterisk.

I think the idea of an asterisk due to injuries (such as Derrick Rose in Chicago this year) is preposterous. Injuries shape the playoffs every year. Does the Lakers 2010 title get an asterisk because Kendrick Perkins was hurt for Game 7? Does Boston’s 2008 title have an asterisk because Andrew Bynum was out for the Lakers? We could play that game for virtually every championship run ever. Luck and health are part of it.

As for one after the title, some fans will put it there anyway — especially if the hated Heat won the title. But in the end that’s not how we will view it, a decade from now it will be a title. A ring is a ring. Whoever gets it will not put an asterisk on the banner.

@borderline1988……eventual championship? Bahahahahahaha…..really? Eventual?! LoL….King Choke, a champion? Bahahahahahaha! He wouldn’t even take the game winning shot against the Knicks in game 4! Yea, some MVP…Jordan would of took that shot…..Kobe would of took that shot….

Where was all this chat about “no asterisk” on the title a few years ago when the Spurs won it? All these years that’s been the tag on San Antonio from sports commentators, players and haters alike. Now all of a sudden the conversation takes a different turn – the hypocrisy and envy around this GREAT team by the haters is so obvious. Let’s see if who’s going to flip flop when the Spurs hoist that trophy up over their heads again this year. LeBron’s talking crap because he’s under the delusion that the Heat will win it – well he’s worrying unnecessarily because he ain’t gonna get it this year, he hasn’t cleaned up his karma yet.